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Ressik

Without order, chaos reigns. Only under the protection of the law can civilization hope to survive. This is the doctrine of Ressik, the Supreme Lawgiver, whose followers bring justice to the lawless and order to the uncivilized. Ressik appears as a stern human adorned in a red and white tabard and carrying a book and gavel.

History/Relationship

Although it is believed that Ressik is an Ascendant, no reliable records exist of his life prior to ascendancy. Some speculate that he may have ascended during the Vedrischtal, since the Great Strife could very easily have produced mortals with a strong desire for law and order, but there is no firm evidence to back this up. Others believe the lack of records is due to Ressik's followers burning texts they consider to be "heretical" in some manner, which often includes historical documents.

The only known facts about Ressik's history appear around the end of the Vedrischtal, when his followers began to rise to prominence in Sardia. Over the following age, they would grow to become a decisive force in Orn's history, leading the way through the Shunning and stamping out the last remnants of the Silver Council.

Few accounts exist of Ressik appearing in person. His followers say that his word is the law, and so he only speaks when he deems it necessary to hand down new laws for them to spread, otherwise trusting in the regimented hierarchy of his theocracy to carry out his will.

Due to his unyielding stance on the rule of law, Ressik is at odds with many other immortals, particularly those, such as Arimir, Dhuroscht, Drathenix, or Tenaebrus, who tend to promote anarchy. He also harbors a special hatred for the patrons of arcane magic, Drakerim, Atrazius, and the Forsynteril, with whom he has warred for ages. He shares uneasy alliances with Githal, Istensia, and Lemesin, whose interests are not directly opposed to his own and whose followers can often be found in the same territories. Because slavery is not considered illegal in his eyes, Ressik also shares an alliance with Hexadus.

Dogma

Uphold the law above all else, for it is most sacred. Spread the rule of law to those who have it not. Seek out and punish the lawless, that the world may know justice. Stamp out the agents of anarchy wherever you find them, lest they infect others with their heresy. Drive out wizards, demihumans, and all others whose very presence offends the order of the world.

Followers and Temples

The followers of Ressik are known as lawgivers and adorn themselves in the same red and white garments as the immortal himself. They maintain a strict, almost military, hierarchy, with each level serving some legal function. Within a particular community, the lowest ranking lawgivers, Enforcers, serve as rank-and-file watchmen and bodyguards. Above the Enforcers are the Inquisitors, who oversee small groups of Enforcers and coordinate investigations. Above the Inquisitors are the Justices, who hold court and issue judgments against suspected criminals. Finally, above the Justices are the High Lawgivers, who oversee the rule of law throughout entire regions. The Justices themselves meet and govern through tribunal, and are said to answer only to Ressik himself.

Almost without exception, temples devoted to Ressik act as courthouses and prisons where lawgivers are trained and criminals are punished. They tend to be stern, monolithic buildings, inside of which the theocracy's mission is methodically carried out, and beneath which convicted felons are left to languish for their crimes. The conditions in these prisons are often made intentionally harsh and inhospitable in order to increase the suffering of the prisoners, in stark contrast to the pristine conditions of the temple just above them.